Hitching device



(No Model') 0. BEILB.

HITGHING DEVICE. No. 477,634. Patented June 28, 1892.

u ull "MT1/1111i i UNiTE CHARLES BEILE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HlTcHlNe DEVICE.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,634, dated J une 28, 1892.

Application led January 7,1891l Serial No. 376,943. (No model.)

city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State ofV Illinois, have invented certain new and ilseful Improvements in IIitchingStraps, of which Athe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bitching-straps more especially designed for use in stables for bitching horses in the stalls,

and has for its prime object to have the strap stored in a spring-actuated roll in such manner that the strap may be drawn or pulled out or extended, but when released will be immediately drawn or again rolled by the action of the spring.

Another object is to have the strap-roll so supported in a casing that the roll may be rigidly locked against unwinding whenever desired, whereby a short hitch for the horse may be secured without necessity for tying the halter strap or chain.

A further object is to have the spring-aetu ated strap-roll secured in a casing of such character that the tension of the spring may be increased or diminished through the manipulation of the casing without the necessity for separating the same, and finally to provide certain novel details in the carrying out of my invention, all as illustrated in the accom` panying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of a bitching-strap embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a central vertical section thereof; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 4, a detail side elevation of the winding-spool, and Fig. 5 an end view of the same.

Similar lett-ers of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A B indicate the circular ends, and C the body or shell, of a cylindrical casing, which members are bound togetherby a screwbolt D, passing through the casing and pro` vided with a head on one end and a'nut on the other for binding the parts together against accidental movement relative to each other, but at the same time affording a ready means for. separating the parts of the casing when u is secured to the spool in any convenient manner, such as by passing through loops orbails Gr upon the spool, while the opposite end thereof passes out through an opening H in one side of the shell, which is covered by a sliding cap I, having a small opening .I therein of substantially the same dimensions as the strap and through which the strap works ywhen being Wound and unwound. This cap works under and is confined in place by inwardly extending annular flanges K. upon the ends of the case, but is perfectly free to move in a circular path, being` limited, however, in such movement by stops L upon the inner surface thereof striking against the edges of the opening in the shell. This arrangement permits considerable freedom of movement for the end of the strap without unnecessary friction upon the sides of the opening through which the strap works, and which would tend to wear the same, and at the same time the large opening in the casing is always covered and the parts within the same are obscured from view, are protected against the lodgment therein of dirtand dust, and are always rendered safe from tampering therewith. The outer free end of the strap which projects through an opening in the cap I is provided with a ring M, which subserves the double purpose of preventing the withdrawal of the end of the strap into the case and of a ready means for attaching the halter strap or chain to the bitching-strap. Within the easing is also located a coil-spring N at one side thereof, the inner end of which is secured to the end O of the spool, while the outer end is secured at P to one of the heads of the casingsay the head B-as illustrated,

IOO

V, pieces may be easily revolved in eitherdirection, and lthus effect 4the desired end, for it f in any other suitable or convenient manner,

and in the head A, adjacent to this ratchetwheel, is pivotally secured a spring-actuated dog S, the pivot of which is provided with an external thumb-piece T, so that the dog may be thrown into engagement with the ratchetwheel, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 3,

and thus eiectually lock the spool against rotation in one direction, so as to prevent the? drawing out or extension of the bitchingstrap when desired. By slight and obvious: changes in the forma-tion of this ratchet or otherwise -toothed wheel and the 'lockingor engaging dog the strapmay be locked with i any desired degree of extension and left projecting through the casing any suitable,

distance without the capability of further extension or withdrawal; but with the arrangement shown in the drawings the strap cannot `be locked in any extended position other.'V than with the .end just projecting through-` the opening in the movable cap, for if locked while-extended it is free to be wound up by the spring as soon as the pulling force is rel.

moved. Thislocking of the-extensible strap 1s of considerable importance, because a short hitch may 'be obtained at any time -byl simply turning the thumb-piece `without the,l necessity for tying up or otherwise short-jf: eniug the halter strap or chain, and at the .l same time whenever it is desirable to give the horse more freedom of movement by turning; this thumb-piece in the lopposite direction he?y can .move to .the full limit of the strap and- Will still at all `times have a perfectlytaut hitching-strap,which avoids all possibility of f the horse getting his foot over the strap and being cast, which lfrequently happens Where a long hitch with Ythe consequent slack is used with the ordinary bitching-straps.

Should the tension of the spring require f changing, either to be increased or decreased, l by manipulating the thumb-piece so that the` dog will engage the ratchet-wheel and lock the spool against rotation under the influencel of the spring and then loosening the nuton the end of the pivoting-bolt D one of the end will be understood that one end of the actuating-spring of the strap being secured to the spool, which is in turn now movable with one of the heads and the other end of the spring being secured to the other head, obviously any movement or rotation of these heads relative to each other will produce a corresponding effect upon the spring.

A bitching-strap made in accordance with my invention embodies many advantages over the ordinary bitching-strap in that a long hitch may be secured without any slack in the strap at any time or a short hitch may be secured without tying up the halter strap or chain by simply locking the strap against extension. The end of the strap may have considerable play or be `unwound when eX- tending in different tangential lines from the -roll -without undue frictionfbetween .the strap and case, tending to wear the former, and the tension of the spring actuating the strap-roll may be altered at will without the necessity for disconnecting the casing or directly manipulating the spring.

For convenience in attaching the casing to the walls of or a post in the stall the ends A B of the casing are provided with later- .ally-extending ears U, either perforated or slotted for reception of screws, although any other means for securing the case 1n positlon may be employed Withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what -I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

isf-

'The combination, with a ycylindrical casing having movable heads and a bolt passing axially therethrough and binding the :mem-

bers of `saidcasiug together, of a spool loosely journaled upon said bolt, a strap wound upon said spool, having one end secured thereto and the other end Working through an opening'in the casing,aspringsecured at its ends, respectively, `to one end of said spool and the casing, a ratchet-wheel secured Vto the other end of said spool, and adogpivoted inthe casiingand provided with an external thu mb-piece for causing the .engagement of ythe dog with the ratchet-wheel, substantially as described.

CHARLES BEILE. Vitnesses:

R. C. OMoHUNDRo, JAMES R. Scorr. 

